Last week, T-Mobile US let loose the Windows Phone 8.1 update for their Nokia Lumia 925. At the time, we noted that the budget Windows Phone Lumia 521 was slated to get its update sometime in November.

It looks like that day is today November 4 as numerous reports are coming in from users who have a fresh update to install.

MetroPCS, the prepaid wireless provider that's operated by T-Mobile, is currently offering the Lumia 521 for $19 in its retail stores. This is perhaps the cheapest price we have seen for this variant of the highly popular Lumia 520.

Back in the month of April, T-Mobile announced that it will be rolling out the Windows Phone 8.1 update to the Lumia 925 and the Lumia 521 over the summer. As we head into fall, there is no word of when the update will be available to users on either device, with a tweet from T-Mobile's support account only mentioning that an update will be available "later this year."

If you want a super cheap price on a no-contract Windows Phone smartphone, then you might want to check out the Microsoft Store website as they currently have the T-Mobile Lumia 521 on sale for just $49.

The Windows Phone 8.1 news just keeps coming today, and not to be lost in the shuffle are T-Mobile's rough upgrade plans for its Windows Phones. Both the Lumia 925 and lower-end Lumia 521 on T-Mobile will be making the jump to Windows Phone 8.1, and even 521 owners on the prepaid side with MetroPCS will be getting the update.

It was two days ago that we finally saw a sign that the Lumia Black firmware update would be out soon for T-Mobile’s Lumia 521. On Nokia’s support website the status of the update went from ‘waiting for approval’ to ‘coming soon’. It still listed as coming soon on Nokia’s support page, but we’re getting a number of tips that Lumia Black has begun its over-the-air rollout for the Lumia 521.

In January Nokia stated that the Lumia Black firmware update would be available to all in the coming weeks after its initial rollout. That didn’t exactly happen, as we’re still seeing certain regions and handsets lighting up with Lumia Black. For example, just yesterday the Lumia 620 in India received the firmware update. One little handset here in the United States still doesn’t have it. That’d be the Lumia 521, a variant of the Lumia 520 exclusive to T-Mobile. We haven’t heard much about the status of the update, but we do know it’s now listed as ‘coming soon’ on Nokia’s website.

MetroPCS, a prepaid wireless service brand in the United States operated by T-Mobile, is currently offering the Nokia Lumia 521 for $29 after rebates. You still have to pay $49 up front, but that’s still a good deal. You receive the $20 rebate after 2 months of service. There are no two-year contracts you need to sign up for.

There’s no such thing as “too many” Windows Phone handsets. Right now I’ve got about 4 on me at this coffee shop, but that pales in comparison to Daniel – who has literally every Windows Phone made. Looking to add some more devices to your quiver? There’s no excuse not to pick up either the Nokia Lumia 520 or Lumia 521. Both devices are killer for their price points, which have just got done at the Microsoft Store.

The Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 521 are currently on sale on Amazon US. The two Windows Phones are Nokia's most affordable smartphones running Microsoft's mobile platform. The main difference between the two are the mobile operators - one being AT&T and the other on T-Mobile. Head on past the break to see the deals and pick up your own.

Update: Both phones are currently unavailable. Hopefully Amazon opens up more stock for orders later in the day.

Know a friend or family member that needs an affordable smartphone on T-Mobile? You could recommend a Nokia Lumia 521. Better yet, you can buy it for them for the Holidays. Target is having Nokia’s best-selling Windows Phone 8 device in their stores next week for just $59.99. Let us remind you that’s the price without signing a two-year contract.

The deal is available from Sunday, December 15th until Saturday, December 21st. It is advertised in Target’s printed weekly ad, but we are not sure if this applies to the online store as well.

We love deals around these parts and we know you do too. While the Lumia 520 has been making all the headlines with its market share and low price, its T-Mobile brother, the Lumia 521, sits on the sideline. While the Lumia 521 has always been affordable, we haven’t seen it at the $69 price point just yet.

Another month, another very informative report from AdDuplex. As the largest cross-promotion network on Windows Phone and Windows 8, AdDuplex has been a solid source of data to get a bird’s eye view of the Windows Phone platform.

What can we learn from the data from the past month? Globally, Windows Phone 8 is now on over 70% of handhelds running Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Read on for more insights into the world of Windows Phone.

The Nokia Lumia 521 on T-Mobile (or the Lumia 520 to the rest of us) is a delightful Windows Phone, which is also the most affordable Nokia smartphone running Microsoft's OS. We've covered in the past how this Windows Phone 8 device is a bargain to grab, but Best Buy has gone one step further by throwing the handset on sale.

Do you have $80 laying around and want to pick yourself up a backup phone? Maybe one for your grandkid or someone in your family? Look no further than HSN who once again have the Nokia Lumia 521, T-Mobile's variant of the Lumia 520, on sale for just $80, plus free shipping.

Mind you, that’s the full price for a no-strings attached Windows Phone.

Grab a cup of coffee and that outdated backpack, we are going to get you ready for the first Semester of classes in this special Back to School 2013 Guide. We have broken the guide down by different student types including “The Geek”, “The Artist”, “The Budgeter”, and “The Entrepreneur”. Check it out below and let us know what you think. Alright, all board – let’s go!

The Nokia Lumia 521 from T-Mobile and the Lumia 520 from AT&T are sitting atop Amazon.com's list of the most popular no-contract phones.

The two Windows Phones are essentially the same with both sporting 4" screens, 5MP rear camera, micro-SD card expansion, 512MB of RAM and 8GB of on-board storage. The T-Mobile 521 is listed for $124.20 with the Lumia 520 running $99.99 as an AT&T pre-paid GoPhone.

Nokia launched its most affordable Windows Phone this year, the Lumia 520. T-Mobile, being a US mobile operator, had to have its own version of this handset for its customer base, so you then had the Lumia 521 released. Both of these Windows Phones are currently topping the charts over on Amazon US, when looking at best selling no-contract mobile devices.